Monday, March 29, 2010

In Buduburam - covering Kasoa

Dear Friends and Family, March 29, 2010
Well, this past week has been a continuation of the previous. To be honest, there is just too much to do. The ward is doing a great job of finding people and being friendly, as we have had 10 people show up spontaneously (no previous missionary contact) these past two weeks. I have to get introduced to everyone, do my best to get numbers, set appointments and deal with my recent converts, who still look at me as their best friend now that Elder Be. is gone. I've really missed that kid. He was my first multi-transfer companion, and we really were a well-oiled machine in a lot of ways. Anyway, so that's been a TON of stress. We have one baptismal date family (mother-son) who has completely dropped off the map, as has one single sister. We can't find Janet! UGH! We are also in charge of Kasoa's baptisms. Buduburam won't have 7 baptisms, but our Buduburam companionship will baptize 10 or so. Plus, having an external District Leader is difficult, especially since we have to travel for district meetings.
I had a great split with the ZL, Elder Ke. He's from Botswana. Also, he is awesome. We went and taught one family, and it was like we'd been companions for weeks. It was a flawless lesson, and we were on the same page for everything. He is telling them to read a scripture. I'm already on that scripture… that kind of thing. We talked a lot about investigators we've loved. He pointed out how every once in awhile, you have that special investigator who, for whatever reason, just becomes really important to you. You just feel an almost desperation for them to get the point, like you are the only one who could teach them. Well, we found a pair of investigators like that. Lina and Benjamin. They are actually two Obrunies, one working in Accra, and one in Buduburam. They are only here for a few months, so it'll be a race against time. Lina is volunteering in the 1st counselor's orphanage. She attended Church at his invitation. Benjamin, we think, is her boyfriend. We gave them a Book of Mormon, and it was then that I realized this was really important. These are honest truth seekers, who just want to do the right thing. These are the EXACT people missionaries pray for!

I'm praying that President sends more missionaries to Buduburam, and that ward missionaries are called. We have a TON of people to teach and not enough hands. Elder Q. and I had an old-fashioned street meeting. We talked while people were playing drafts (similar but WAY more interesting than Checkers). Elder Q. fielded their questions like a champ! I don't know how successful it really was, but we had about 20 people recognizing that God really does love ALL His children, unconditionally, and is no respecter of persons. The doctrine of Universal Salvation is a HUGE testimony builder for me. We came away from it with 40 contacts, and a spiritual high that manifested itself as frequently reliving the moment even though it only happened 20 minutes ago. "Do you remember when he was like ____?" "And then you said this and it was like 'OHHHHH!'
I found one of Professor Bott's (my Mission Prep Teacher at BYU) book on the street, and immediately bought it. It's called "Serve With Honor". Best 4 cedis ever spent.
We had two really good lessons this week. We’ve learned that all the vocabulary and eloquence in the world are USELESS unless you are being understood. In one lesson, the simplicity of everything really struck me. Why did God stop talking to Man? Because no one was listening. Why did God break that silence? Because a simple, honest boy wanted nothing more than to follow and serve Him… because someone was finally listening. The Gospel NEEDS to be taught as simply and clearly as possible, even to those of us who already “understand” it. The other great lesson was last Sunday as I taught about the Atonement. I realized that it would be incorrect to pretend the Atonement was just in the Garden, or on the Cross. Christ's whole LIFE was the Atonement. Every action, lesson, choice was in preparation for that great and last moment. This is why His whole life, he said, "My hour is not yet come." He STILL could not take a break. He still had work to do. Only in one moment is that not true... on the cross, when he uttered that heart-breaking, terrible, and yet sublime phrase "It is finished." His whole life culminated on that single moment. The load of responsibility no longer burdened Him. The work, that last, GREAT sacrifice, was done.
Anyway... Well, there isn't much else to say. I've been noticing the hand of the Lord in my life more then ever. More and more, I've also realized I've done nothing to deserve it. I constantly feel like Elder Q. and I are on the verge of drowning in the amount of work we have to do, and always, ALWAYS, the Lord sends a windfall to get us through to next week. I promise, this is true in your lives, too. God loves all His children, which is evident in His INFINITE capacity to forgive. Always remember that, especially as Easter comes.
Love,
Elder Farnbach